U2's Ivors 2025 acceptance speech

NME

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00:00We are experiencing several firsts today.

00:03First Irish honorees and first non-British band to be honoured.

00:13When we gathered in Larry Mullen's kitchen in 1976,

00:18this was unimaginable.

00:21We never thought that the band could be this old.

00:24We had the most basic of talents,

00:30but we believed that songs could take us anywhere

00:33because we had already been so many places.

00:36We just had to tell our story.

00:39So this baby band began inarticulately to do that,

00:43with many failures.

00:44But gradually, Edge, Bono, Larry and I

00:48found a way to work together.

00:50And it is this loyalty, respect and willingness

00:53to serve each other that has brought us here today.

00:56But really, tonight is about my brothers-in-arms.

01:04Or, depending on the decade, brothers in frocks.

01:09Bono, Edge, Adam, thank you for sharing this journey

01:13and letting me be in my band for the last 50 years.

01:21Who's counting?

01:23Who's counting?

01:24Who's counting?

01:33Yes, it's been a long and winding road for us,

01:38full of love, loss, and the occasional lemon.

01:44Bands are complicated.

01:46Getting four people into a room to agree on anything is difficult,

01:50never mind trying to write songs.

01:53However, we can always agree on a great tune.

01:56And finally, to all the drummers

01:59who've never been recognised or credited

02:02for their contribution to the song,

02:05this one is for you.

02:07Sláinte.

02:07Awards, we have a few.

02:21But then again, Ivor Novello's too few to mention.

02:27We did what we had to do

02:30and saw it through without exemption.

02:34We planned each charted course,

02:38each careful step along the byway.

02:43But more, much more than this,

02:47we did it my way.

02:53Yes, there were times

02:57I'm sure you knew

03:00When Bono bit off

03:03More than we could chew

03:05When Adam thought

03:08That it was him

03:10And Larry Mullen

03:12Would not give in

03:15But the records show

03:18Through all the blows

03:22We did it my way

03:36I'd like to remind the room

03:38that The Edge was the first one

03:39to break up the band.

03:43We've all had a go since.

03:45But in 1982, age 21

03:50That man there decided

03:52That he'd had enough of the music business

03:55With its inflamed egos

03:57And pumped up personalities

03:59I asked him

04:03Would he make an exception for me?

04:05I used to introduce this next song

04:09By explaining

04:10It wasn't a rebel song

04:11It was

04:13Because

04:17Believing in the possibilities of peace

04:22Was then and is now

04:23A rebellious act

04:25And some would say

04:27A ridiculous one

04:28To believe peace was attainable

04:30Between your country and ours

04:33Between our country and itself

04:36Was a ridiculous idea

04:38Because

04:39Peace

04:40Creates possibilities

04:42In the most intractable situations

04:45And Lord knows

04:47There's a few of them out there right now

04:51Hamas

04:53Release the hostages

04:55Stop the war

04:56Israel

04:58Be released from Benjamin Netanyahu

05:01And the far right fundamentalists

05:05That twist your sacred texts

05:07All of you

05:10Protect our aid workers

05:12They are the best of us

05:14Thank you

05:18God

05:20You must be so tired of us

05:23Children of Abraham

05:24In the rubble

05:26Of our certainties

05:27Children

05:30In the rubble

05:31Of our revenge

05:32God forgive us

05:33I'm going to sing this now

05:35If I can find a microphone

05:38We're all the best of us

05:41Thank you

05:42Thank you

05:43Thanks

05:44To be the best of us

05:44We will

05:45Do you

05:46Do you

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